Finally in France! (at least for a fortnight, anyway)

We have arrived! Has been a challenging, yet also much smoother few days than we expected.

Final packing was straightforward enough, but as with any time you leave home there wasn't room for everything this time. After an excellent brunch, we set off - excited and anxious in equal measure.

We had an easy journey to the train at Folkestone. Bob was brilliant. A few mews, but mostly he slept. However, as we made our way onto the train, the light changed and he wasn't so keen. It probably didn't help that we'd let him have a roam around the bus while we waited (our train was delayed 30mins). He loved that!

We got across La Manche, having watched a bouncing campervan the whole way and wondering if it was all down to the train, and emerged with the bus finally the right way round (it is left hand drive). Bob settled down for another nap after a quick loo stop for us all. With Aidan now driving, and a few roundabouts to contend with, we didn't have to wait long for a squawk. Daddy is not such a smooth driver as Mummy!

It was dark and raining, and Aidan has trouble with glare from lights at night, so we pulled over and did a quick driver change for the final 30minutes - which became about 50mins, when we got a little bewildered around Amiens trying to get to the hotel which always seemed to be on the wrong side of us somehow! Finally on the right side of the road, we pulled into a car park just outside. The top of the bus brushed the height barrier, but when it was quite high inside we didn't think about it again.

I went up and checked us in - and forgot my mask.

Went back to the bus to get Bob and Aidan, and we went up to the room - forgetting our masks again! Aidan nipped down to get a few bits from the bus, including our masks and then I went to fetch some of Bob's bits. Bob settled into the hotel room pretty well.

We made good time the next morning, despite my not getting much sleep as Bob demanded lots of attention. We set off and, tried to find our way out of the car park. Ot was now we found out why the height restriction had been in place. Yep, we now have dented roof bars from going down the narrow, low ramps to get to the exit!

After that, other than hitting traffic around Paris had a good journey down. But that traffic round Paris took away our time buffer and meant we had to do superfast pitstops on the way down, to make the notaire's office on time. This meant one of us goin to the loo while the other kept the bus running for a speedy departure!

As we drew closer, some of our nerves around moving to a place we'd never visited subsided as the area is stunningly lovely. Rolling hills, lots of trees, very green. It is like the Lake District, only with French dimensions. I don't think I could have found us a lovelier spot even if we'd travelled around this part of France extensively.

We ended up getting to the notaires about 5 minutes late, but were welcomed in and the acte de vente was read out we all initialed and signed until our hands hurt, and then we owned a house we'd never seen in person, in a place we'd never visited! We took the keys, and made our way up the winding roads from the village to the hamlet.

It is chocolate box pretty, with solid stone houses, all clustered around a large farmyard. Cows live in the fields around, and come down 4 or 5 times a year for their vaccinations to the yard opposite our house, blocking the road. We pulled up putside the house and let purselves in.

The house was freezing, with no water and no light. We felt a little despondent. But we began to unpack, and I sent a quick email to the agent. Thankfully she responded quickly with instructions - and we had light!!

Water needed a call to the mairie, so had to wait.

We unwrapped the new mattress, made the bed with a super soft and fleecy cover, snuggled up, got a bit squiffy on champagne in plastic glasses, and then Aidan and Bob slept like logs 😆

Saturday morning, we had a long lie in, though M. Lancelot knocked on the door about 9am and let me know the bakery van was just down the road. I hurried out in my PJs and Aidan's slippers, and bought a feast of bread, cheese, yoghurts, pastries etc (thankfully now medicated gluten nowhere near such an issue!) Later in the day, a quick trip to the village for some shopping and then we started work on cleaning the kitchen. We got a tiny corner and an old dresser clean as well as the glasses inside it!

Pooped, we were about to head up for a strip wash when 2 of our neighbours knocked on the door and invited us for a cup of tea. We got lost, even in such a tiny place, but they sent a scout - lovely Netherlander called Yoris - to come and find us. He and his wife and small son bought a house here last Friday and like us are broke and doing as much as they can on a very tight budget!

Both are musicians, so we had a lot to talk about ( Aidan plays guitar and I play cello, piano and attempt the violin!) The other couple, whose house we were all invited to (warm, cosy, lovely, huge!) are older. He was a history teacher and she worked in horse racing. Both now retired. They offered us use of their shower... we love them very much!

We saw our next door neighbour (M Lancelot, who owned the house before us) who kindly gave us some butter (I'd forgotten to get it while in town) and told us the radiators upstairs work. So, we can now watch Netflix in bed, Bob on my lap and toasty with heat, light and a fluffy duvet!